Vacant Arthur St. home burns hours after squatters booted out

Chinatown fire in photos

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 Ottawa -- Ottawa firefighters put out a blaze in an empty, older Chinatown home early Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2013. Investigators are trying to determine the cause. They say squatters had been inside the house just prior to the blaze breaking out.
DOUG HEMPSTEAD/OTTAWA SUN/QMI AGENCY

QMI AGENCY

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 Ottawa -- Ottawa firefighters put out a blaze in an empty, older Chinatown home early Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Investigators are trying to determine the cause. They say squatters had been inside the house just prior to the blaze breaking out.
DOUG HEMPSTEAD/OTTAWA SUN/QMI AGENCY

QMI AGENCY

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 Ottawa -- Ottawa firefighters put out a blaze in an empty, older Chinatown home early Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Investigators are trying to determine the cause. They say squatters had been inside the house just prior to the blaze breaking out.
DOUG HEMPSTEAD/OTTAWA SUN/QMI AGENCY

QMI AGENCY

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 Ottawa -- Ottawa firefighters put out a blaze in an empty, older Chinatown home early Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Investigators are trying to determine the cause. They say squatters had been inside the house just prior to the blaze breaking out.
DOUG HEMPSTEAD/OTTAWA SUN/QMI AGENCY

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Just hours after a group of squatters were booted out of a vacant Chinatown home, the place went up in flames Wednesday morning.

The two incidents could be a coincidence, but investigators at a downtown Ottawa home this morning are checking to see if the blaze was caused by arson. So far, investigators believe the fire appears to have originated in a pile of garbage in behind the home, and spread to the structure itself.

A source told the Sun the squatters had been removed from the home on Tuesday.

Firefighters received a 911 call that flames were shooting out of the roof at 110 Arthur St., around 5:45 a.m. Wednesday. Crews managed to protect neighbouring homes -- one only about four feet away, which has a "Sold" realtor's sign out front.

Cops say the home where the fire happened was also sold recently, to an architect who firefighters say bought it because it was a well-built home. They say there were plans to build a new foundation and renovate.

Police say its unclear if people had been using the insul-bricked, older, two-storey home as a place to do drugs or sleep unnoticed. Most of the damage appears to be to the rear, south side of the east-facing home.

Police continue to keep Arthur St. closed between Somerset and Christie streets. They expect to re-open the street by 11 a.m.

Ottawa Fire spokesman Marc Messier said the preliminary damage is estimated around $100,000.

More to come.

Doug.Hempstead@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @DougHempstead

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Vacant Arthur St. home burns hours after squatters booted out

Investigators are trying to find out how a vacant house in Chinatown caught fire early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters received a 911 call claiming flames were shooting out of the roof at 110 Arthur St., around 5:45 a.m. Firefighters managed to protect neighbouring homes -- one only about four feet away, which has a "Sold" realtor's sign out front.

Cops say the home where the fire happened was sold recently as well to an architect who firefighters say bought it because it was well-built home. They say there were plans to build a new foundation and renovate.